Winner of multiple gold medals from the Los Angeles International Beer Competition and the Australian International Beer Awards, this big stout from Sprecher pours a super dark brown with garnet flashes when held to a strong light, topped by a head of medium brown foam. On the nose, expect a richly malty impression with big notes of deeply toasted bread, scorched caramel, molasses, coffee grounds, and touches of cacao. Bold and delicious on the palate with a full and creamy body, this double stout delivers a complex array of deep flavors. Look for bold notes of dark chocolate and coffee, plenty of roasty character, rich caramel, hints of licorice, and some earthy and lightly floral hop notes alongside moderate bitterness which plays foil to the more dominant residual malt sweetness. We're usually happiest drinking imperial stouts on their own, often as a nightcap, but food pairings are possible. Cheeses are often a good call with stouts of all kinds, and for their impy stout, Sprecher recommends Wisconsin's own Marieke 12-18 month aged gouda. Desserts featuring chocolate are also an amazing pairing; we're partial to chocolate cake a la mode. Enjoy!

Sprecher Brewing Company (Glendale, WI)

Randal (Randy) Sprecher, a former Pabst Brewing Company brewing supervisor, founded Sprecher Brewing Company in Milwaukee, WI in 1985 with an emphasis on German-style beers – an emphasis which continues to this day with beer styles such as Maibock, Oktoberfest (Märzen), Hefeweiss, Schwarzbier, and more. After about a decade, the company had grown to the point where they needed a larger facility, and in 1994 the brewery was moved to its current location a few miles to the north in Glendale, WI. The new, bigger brewery offered the company the room to keep growing, and they have established themselves as significant contributors to the city of Milwaukee’s impressive brewing tradition, which reaches far beyond the presence of the current mega-brewery that’s based in the city. In the late 19th century, Milwaukee boasted over 80 breweries until Prohibition led to the demise of most of them in 1919. Nevertheless, the city can be spoken of historically as a craft brewing haven, and the success of the Sprecher beers there in recent years shows that the enthusiasm for great beer is still alive and well.

If you’re ever in the Milwaukee area, check out the Sprecher brewery and buy as many brews as you can bring home with you. You might need an extra suitcase, though, because in addition to their multitude of excellent German-style brews they also make a number of excellent ales such as Irish-style Stout, English-style Brown Ale, and more – including this month's featured Scotch Ale and Imperial Stout. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, visit their website at www.sprecherbrewery.com or call them at 414-964-2739.

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